BSEE MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT W
Research from the Carbon Trust* suggests that poorly maintained air conditioning systems can waste up to 60 per cent more energy than their well maintained counterparts. Neil Bilton, head of key accounts for Panasonic Heating and Cooling explains why installers should educate their customers about the importance of proactive maintenance to ensure longevity, help save energy in addition to safeguarding the effective performance of air conditioning systems
hen specifying an air conditioning system, it is
crucial to consider maintenance and servicing as part
of the initial design specification to ensure easy access to the units to establish a robust and long-term air conditioning solution for your customer.
Building relationships
HVAC installers are in prime position to offer an on-going maintenance and servicing package to their customers, and for some manufacturers, this is considered an important element of the sales process.
But, of course, this can be a hard sell. It is no surprise that once customers have paid for their cooling system, they are not thinking about agreeing to pay out more money in a year’s time or being the one to make the call further down the line to organise a maintenance check. If their system is working sufficiently, they may leave it and think that a service is not required. However, the installer has a responsibility to communicate to their customer that regular maintenance is required and is an essential part of ensuring a longer life of the units and furthermore a continuous energy efficient performance. Indeed, regular inspections are enforced by the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). To comply with regulations, building owners must schedule regular inspections and report the results of these inspections to the central Non-Domestic Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Register. The EPBD, recast in 2012, also stipulates that buildings must move towards being zero-energy efficient, whereby all energy loads are offset with the use of renewable energy sources, a serious challenge for building owners and managers. An air conditioning system that is poorly maintained with elements that do not function efficiently risks increasing energy usage and adversely impacting a building’s capability to reach its zero-energy target. Regular inspections can also often reveal issues that prevent an otherwise efficient system from functioning properly. Frequent cleaning of coils, fans, filters and duct work is also an important part of the inspection, as blocked components
Adversing: 01622 699116
INCREASING LONGEVITY AND EFFICIENCY Regular maintenance provides the solutions
such as these can also reduce the systems efficiency. Modern air conditioning systems are
phenomenally energy efficient, but they need to be kept well maintained and regularly inspected for property owners to take full advantage of their energy saving capabilities.
Get smart
The Internet of Things and the development of different technologies and appliances connected to the Internet have the potential to revolutionise the maintenance of building services, including air conditioning. Smart systems can now connect air conditioning units to the internet and enable remote monitoring, control and maintenance of the system via an online platform, accessible from any web browser, tablet or smartphone. Panasonic is one such manufacturer that has been at the forefront of this technology. Remote maintenance and monitoring can mean huge advantages for installers offering maintenance contracts to their customers. If installers can monitor the performance of air conditioning units, they can see that a unit is not performing as it should be and schedule a maintenance visit – the recommended number of visits is at least two per year to ensure preventative measures are put in place and that the system is working when most needed.
With a truly smart air conditioning system, such as Panasonic’s AC Smart Cloud, installers are be able to use diagnostic assessments to ensure first time and every time testing to help
eliminate downtime and the costs associated with this through a dedicated web portal.
Even though remote maintenance is not possible in all cases, being able to see what the exact issue is enables installers to prioritise maintenance obligations so that they do not have to spend time travelling to a site and attending to an issue that did not necessarily require urgent attention. This remote monitoring and maintenance can be particularly useful in applications where a robust, stable air conditioning system is critical to the business, such as data centres and server rooms. Installers can monitor the performance level of air conditioning units and receive alerts when performance drops below a certain level. This project can then be prioritised, and the installer can ensure that crucially important air conditioning systems remain operational and that business activities are not interrupted. Maintenance and servicing should be a crucial element of an installer’s business to form long-standing and repeat customer relationships. Whilst this will guarantee the installer a steady business, customers are also given peace of mind that they are safe in the hands of their installer to care for their new HVAC solution. To further encourage customers and installers, some manufacturers such as Panasonic have set their enhanced warranty scheme to encompass an extended warranty period of five and seven years. This is dependent on the installer successfully completing the relevant training from Panasonic, or an authorised distributor, in addition to submitting evidence of regular maintenance checks.
www.aircon.panasonic.eu
*
www.carbontrust.com/resources/guides/energy-efficiency/heating-ventilation- and-air-conditioning-hvac
www.panasonic.com/global 10 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER DECEMBER 2018 VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
www.bsee.co.uk
uWith a truly smart air conditioning system, such as Panasonic’s AC Smart Cloud, installers can use diagnostic assessments to ensure first time and every time testing to help eliminate downtime and the costs associated with this through a dedicated web portal
‘
Remote
maintenance and monitoring can mean huge advantages for installers oering maintenance contracts to their customers. If installers can monitor the performance of air condioning units, they can see that a unit is not performing as it should be and schedule a maintenance visit.
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